Within Numbered Days
by Lance Corporal Chanyeol
Summary: Exo (band). Chanyeol died, but he still has 49 days to spend with Baekhyun and the others before he completely disappears.


"Park Chanyeol, you are the biggest idiot I've ever had the displeasure of knowing. Literally."

"But Wufan's taller than me."

"What did you just say, you little—."

"He's not little."

"What did you just say, you giant—."

"Guys, guys, this is my funeral, I'm the king here."

Everyone laughed, everyone except Baekhyun. "Park Chanyeol, I hope you rot in hell for leaving me with these idiotic minions of yours."

"Who the fuck is that dork's minions?" Sehun asked, dead serious.

"Oh Sehun, I'm still older than you and could still beat your ass up for that."

"Your cause of death is so stupid that I can't even cry," Jongdae piped up.

Baekhyun shook his head. Park Chanyeol, who died from falling down the stairs of a hospital (apparently, his bladder was two seconds away from releasing a whole dam) when they were visiting Sehun (who broke his hand when he went drinking with Jongin and got too drunk that he literally punched a wall, so of course the whole gang had to visit him because _poor baby Sehun_), had 49 days left with them as a floating form of himself. Basically, he was now a ghost.

* * *

_**48 days left…**_

"When are you going to move your things out?"

Chanyeol looked up from his game. "Do I really have to? I don't have anywhere to take them."

"Throw them out?" Baekhyun suggested.

"Ouch, Baek. You're so cold to me. Don't you love me anymore?"

Baekhyun gave him an answering glare.

_**47 days left…**_

"Park Chanyeol, what in the ever loving fuck are you doing here?"

Chanyeol beamed at him. "Why, visiting my hubby, of course."

"Who's your hubby?" Baekhyun asked, trying to concentrate on the book he was reading.

"Aw, you're still acting so cold. We only have a few days left, you know—."

Baekhyun knew that Chanyeol was only joking, but the reality of the statement still made him snap and say, "Yes, I do know, and I also know that it's your entire fault."

They stared at each other, Chanyeol looking at lost for words. He finally settled for a hushed, "I'm sorry."

From then on, Chanyeol avoided bringing up how he was going to disappear soon.

_**44 days left…**_

"Do you want to hang out with the others? You know, leave the house for a bit."

"Why, what's up?" Chanyeol floated towards Baekhyun and the latter cringed.

"Stop doing that, it's freaky."

Chanyeol grinned, hovering over him even higher to blow on Baekhyun's neck. Baekhyun tried to squirm away but a floating Chanyeol was a fast Chanyeol, and soon he was being pinned down to their couch. Chanyeol's hands were no longer warm when he touched Baekhyun, but it wasn't cold either. Rather, it was void of any temperature, and that almost scared the smaller guy.

"You were saying something about leaving the house?" Chanyeol asked, running his hands up and down Baekhyun's thighs.

"Christ, Chanyeol. You're always just here or following me around in the shop. Don't you want to go out and meet up with the others?"

The hands found their way under Baekhyun's sweater, immediately going for his nipples. "Are you even listening to me—?" He was cut off by Chanyeol's lips on his.

"Less talking, more doing."

Baekhyun was about to protest when he felt a hand palm him through his jeans. He moaned into Chanyeol's mouth and that had the younger guy grinning against him.

Clothes were haphazardly thrown away and soon, Chanyeol was fucking him on their couch. Baekhyun threw his arms around the other's neck and let a few tears escape.

He missed the physical warmth that Chanyeol used to emit.

_**43 days left…**_

They visited Kyungsoo and Jongin in their shared space, awkwardly having to wait a few minutes outside because the other two was "_cleaning their apartment up_". When the door was opened, they were greeted by a visually flustered Jongin.

"Glad you two could visit," he gritted out.

"Wanted to hang out and play but we can just swing by another time if the two of you are busy," Chanyeol answered, suggestively cocking his eyebrows.

"No, Kyungsoo insists."

The four of them ended up ordering pizza and watching a movie together. Halfway through a particularly boring scene, Jongin spoke up.

"You know, we should throw a going away party for you," he told Chanyeol.

Baekhyun pretended that he didn't see Chanyeol glance at him before answering. "Sounds cool."

"Cool."

Baekhyun couldn't concentrate on the rest of the movie after that, too preoccupied with numbers that kept popping in and out of his mind.

_**39 days left…**_

"Byun Baek, I declare that we go somewhere."

Baekhyun groaned, rolling on the bed. "_Now_?"

"It's just a little pass 11," Chanyeol told him.

"No, why do you want to go right now?"

He got a shrug. "It'll be fun." He saw Chanyeol fiddling with his phone, probably calling others. After 15 or so minutes of talking on the phone and another 10 minutes of driving to get to their meet-up place, all 12 of them were gathered in the playground, three cars parked and waiting.

"Chanyeol, what kind of plan is this?" Wufan asked, a half-asleep Tao clinging to his arm.

"Don't tell me that you don't want to relive your childhood," Chanyeol said, looking around. It was like he was surrounded by a herd of zombies.

"But it's snowing and it's cold," Sehun complained.

"Yes, thank you very much for pointing out the obvious," Baekhyun said, rolling his eyes.

"Byun Baekhyun, don't tell me that you're in on this." Suho looked disbelieving.

"We're already here so I am now."

"Thanks, honey bunch," Chanyeol said, feeling up Baekhyun's ass.

"I got you, sweetie pie."

In the end, everyone agreed to "relive their childhood memories" by playing on swings and surprisingly long slides. The real fun didn't start until someone threw the first snowball (that someone being Kim Jongdae) though, which became an all out snowball fight.

_**35 days left…**_

"Baek, let's get married."

"Are you on drugs?"

He was playfully shoved on the shoulder. "Come on, let's get married!"

Baekhyun watched as Chanyeol ran away, stopping in front of a few people. Slowly, he got around five people and beckoned for Baekhyun to come. Baekyun, who was frozen on spot, only stared at him until Chanyeol had to drag him over.

"Mister Kim here says he can say a few lines," Chanyeol told him, gesturing to a smiling elderly man. He then pointed out that the younger looking people were the witnesses.

"Chanyeol, I don't think—," Baekhyun tried to say.

"Don't tell me you're getting cold feet now. Give me your ring, please."

"You just suddenly came up with this idea mere minutes ago, how do you expect me to—." He was again cut off.

"Baek, please? Please just trust me on this. Your ring?"

Baekhyun exhaled through his nose. Slowly, he removed the promise ring that Chanyeol gave him on their third anniversary together (yes, it took the dork that long) and Chanyeol handed over both their rings to Mister Kim.

"We're ready," Chanyeol told him, and the ceremony started.

They had a little banter over who was who, but eventually settled with Chanyeol being the wife and Baekhyun the husband. After reciting their vows and re-placing the rings on their fingers, Chanyeol cradled Baekhyun's face in his hands and kissed him. After that, everything was a blur because their small audience turned into basically everyone on the streets, and everyone was cheering and clapping for them.

They were barely through the door when they started stripping off each other's clothes. They made it to their bedroom and collapsed on the bed, Chanyeol kissing Baekhyun hard enough to leave bruises and the latter kissing back with an equal amount of force.

When they pulled back for air, Baekhyun held Chanyeol's face and pressed their foreheads together. "I love you so much. You know that, right? I love you, you giant, idiotic dork."

Chanyeol laughed his deep rumbling laughter that sent a jolt through Baekhyun's body, and kissed him again. "As I love you, baby smurf."

Chanyeol retrieved the lube and squirted out a generous amount on his fingers. He started prepping Baekhyun, kissing the smaller male when he saw even the smallest trace of discomfort grace the other's features.

When he was ready, Baekhyun asked Chanyeol to lie down and switch positions with him.

"Baek…?"

"Wanna ride today," Baekhyun answered, straddling Chanyeol. He positioned himself over the swollen cock and slowly eased it inside. Once it was all in, he gave a few experimental bounces, soon throwing his head back. "So good..."

Chanyeol grabbed him by the hips and rocked him back and forth, a guttural sound escaping the taller male. Baekhyun leaned down on him and clawed at his chest. "So fucking good," he mewled out.

Chanyeol lifted him up and got up into a half-lying, half-sitting position, leaning on the headboard and on a few pillows. He re-entered Baekhyun and grabbed his hips again, still managing to take control although Baekhyun was on top. The older male didn't protest, wrapping his arms around Chanyeol's neck, biting and sucking everywhere he could.

"Baek, I'm getting close. So close…" Chanyeol told him, breathing down on his ear.

"D-don't pull out," Baekhyun gasped out. A particular thrust had hit him good, making him moan out Chanyeol's name. Chanyeol realized what he did and kept hitting that spot, aiming for it. Soon, Baekhyun's stomach was tightening and he was cumming all over their chests, arms still wrapped around his new _wife_.

Chanyeol came soon after, spilling nothing inside Baekhyun, having a dry orgasm. He pulled out and both collapsed on the bed, grinning like idiots. Baekhyun bit down on his lips to contain the sobs that threatened to wrack his body.

"Wifey's such an expert at this," Baekhyun crooned.

"Ugh." Chanyeol rolled over so he was facing Baekhyun, but had his face hidden in his hands.

They fell asleep like that, covered in sweat and cum. When they woke up, they were still wrapped in each other's arms.

_**33 days left…**_

"Baekhyun! Why is Fanfan calling me and congratulating me about being _a newly-wed wife_? Does that even make sense?"

"No idea," Baekhyun said. He flopped down on the couch beside Chanyeol, who took in his appearance.

"Is that a _Just Got Married_ shirt?" the giant asked.

"Congrats, you can read." Baekhyun handed him a plastic bag. "Kyungsoo's gift."

Chanyeol took out a t-shirt, obviously matching with the one Baekhyun was wearing. "Let me look at the back side of yours."

After looking at Baekhyun's back, he had the new shirt laid out on the table faster than the speed of light. On the back, the words THE WIFEY was printed in big and white letters to contrast with the black color of the shirt.

Chanyeol groaned, curling into a ball on the couch.

"Kyungsoo says that we have to wear it the next time we meet up. Also, Minseok, Yixing, and Luhan said that we should make lots of babies. Do you think you handle, say, ten?"

_**29 days left…**_

"Hi, sis."

Park Yoora bounded down the stairs and threw her arms around Chanyeol, hugging her brother close.

"Sorry I kept him to myself," Baekhyun said, watching from the sidelines.

Yoora only laughed, releasing his brother to hug Baekhyun. "I'm glad you two came to visit."

Baekhyun hugged her back, always thankful that Chanyeol's family was a bunch of very understanding people.

They heard Chanyeol's mom call them for dinner. As they ate, Baekhyun looked around the table, noticing how every once in a while, Chanyeol's parents and his sister would glance at him.

Chanyeol only had a few days left and Baekhyun was hogging him all to himself.

_**24 days left…**_

"Yeol, maybe you should go visit your family again."

"But we just went there," Chanyeol told him, looking confused.

"No, I mean… you know, just you. Maybe spend a few days with them."

Chanyeol frowned. "No, Baekhyun. I want to stay with you."

"You're being unfair to them, Yeol. You're going—," Baekhyun stopped himself before he could continue the sentence. He almost said _you're going to disappear soon_.

"To do whatever I want before I disappear."

_**19 days left…**_

As the day grew closer, Baekhyun's temper grew incredibly shorter, but not with Chanyeol. He could snap at their friends, but when Chanyeol tried to calm him down, he would obey. He could get cranky at work, but then he'd see Chanyeol watching him, and he would try to be nicer to the customers. He knew he was being ridiculous, but he couldn't help it.

"Call off that fucking 'going away' party of yours, Kim Jongin, because I am not amused with it," Baekhyun said into the receiver. "What do you mean, _why_? He's fucking going away for real, you dipshit. He's fucking dead, and maybe you don't understand the pain of that because you're not the one who's going to be left behind, you're not the one whose lover died—," Baekhyun cut himself off when he felt someone looking at him and turned to see Chanyeol by the door of the bathroom.

Baekhyun looked away and hit the END CALL button, tucking his phone in his pockets and leaning on the sink, using his hands as support.

"Baek…"

"Chanyeol, please get out."

"Baekhyun, listen to me—," the other tried again.

"And I don't mean outside the house, okay? Just… leave me alone for now. Just… please."

Chanyeol lingered for a few moments before he finally gave up and left, shutting the door behind him. It took Baekhyun a few heart beats before he finally broke down. 49 days weren't enough to prepare him for the day that Chanyeol would permanently leave.

Forever couldn't prepare him for a life without Park Chanyeol, but it was going to happen alarmingly soon.

_**11 days left…**_

Baekhyun had resolved to locking himself up in the bathroom whenever he felt a wave of tears on their way, until Chanyeol managed to catch him and held the quivering male in his arms.

"Baek, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I have to go. I'm sorry I died. I'm so scared and I don't want to leave you."

Baekhyun kept crying, clinging to Chanyeol like he was a life-support, and he might as well be for Baekhyun. The problem was that his life-support was dead and slowly fading away.

_**8 days left…**_

Baekhyun and Chanyeol spent the rest of the cold winter days cuddled up in blankets, eating pizza and ice cream although it was already freezing cold, watching Harry Potter from the first movie, drinking mugs after mugs of hot chocolate, staying up at night talking about everything and nothing, and basically just being there for each other.

Baekhyun kept wondering how he was supposed to do these sort stuff again once Chanyeol was gone.

_**5 days left…**_

Chanyeol visited his family one last time, which left Baekhyun alone at home. He kept checking the clock, feeling dread creep into his nerves. He was so antsy that he accidentally knocked over his glass, breaking it in the process. He bent down to pick them up and cut himself. He watched the blood ooze out, dripping down, and he thought that it was unfair how he was still bleeding, how he was still very much living.

He didn't even hear Chanyeol come, didn't even realize that he was crying until his giant was pulling him up bridal style into his arms, setting him down on his feet to wash the wound. He kept crying, soaking up Chanyeol's sweater. When Chanyeol was done, he picked Baekhyun up again and carried him to their room, ignoring the mess they left.

He sat the smaller male down on the bed, proceeding to dress his wound with bandages. Afterwards, he let Baekhyun cry into his chest, and Baekhyun thought that it was unfair how Chanyeol couldn't even cry himself.

_**3 days left…**_

"Yeah, you can do the party."

"_Really? If you don't want to, and Chanyeol hyung doesn't either, we can just meet up and do stuff together…_"

"It's fine, we can do whatever."

"_Okay._" Jongin was quiet for a while. "_Hyung?_"

"Yeah?"

"_I'm sorry, about Chanyeol hyung. It's unfair. We're all sorry._"

"Me too, Jongin. Me too."

_**1 day left…**_

"We're having the party tomorrow," Baekhyun told Chanyeol as they snuggled against each other on the bed.

"Yeah."

"But we need to get up early because we're meeting up to buy some stuff."

"Okay."

"Yeol?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you, Byun Baekhyun. So much that forever can't cover it."

* * *

On the 49th day, they all went out on in the morning to a bookstore.

"Why are you only getting the cards now?" Chanyeol asked them, holding hands with Baekhyun as they looked around.

"Because a certain Byun called the party off and then said that it was on again," Jongin answered with a smirk.

"Shouldn't this be like, a surprise or something?"

"You're too old for that."

"Fine."

Everyone laughed. They were all in the greeting cards section, staying together. Chanyeol picked up a card and read it to Baekhyun.

"_If you ever get lonely, look at the spaces between your fingers and remind yourself that mine fit in there perfectly._ Wow, cheesy as fuck."

Everyone laughed.

Baekhyun took the card and read another quote. "_I went outside the other night, looked up at the stars, and matched each one with a reason why I love you. Everything was going great until I ran out of stars_. Sounds like something someone on crack would do."

Everyone laughed again, this time a bit quieter.

"_I knew I truly loved you because I was looking through quotes to tell you what you mean to me, when I finally realized it can't be put into words the way I feel about you_," Chanyeol read.

Baekhyun took the card back. "_If I were a tear in your eye, I would run down your cheeks and die on your lips. If you were a tear in my eye, I would never cry in fear of losing you_."

Chanyeol took it back and read, "_If I had God grant me one single wish, I'd pray that the world would move a little bit slower, So that we'd have just a little more time together..._" He looked up and smiled at Baekhyun, and Baekhyun smiled back, both their smiles bright and made of genuine happiness.

At that moment, they watched Chanyeol disappear in front of them, fading into nothingness. The hand that Baekhyun was holding turned into the ring that Chanyeol wore; their promise and wedding ring.

"If you're going to leave, don't leave things behind, idiot." Baekhyun picked up the card and decided to buy it.

* * *

They all went back to Baekhyun's and Chanyeol's apartment, where the party was supposed to happen.

"So much for preparing and all," Jongdae said and laughter erupted.

Baekhyun excused himself to put things in their –his– room. When he looked around, he saw a note lying on his bed side table.

"_Hi, baby smurf. I'm sure I'll be gone by the time you read this, and I'm really sorry, okay? I know you're going to cry a lot (I'm pretty smug about this) but I don't want to see you sad. You can move my things if you want to, or send them to my family. You can do whatever with them because they're yours now. I hope I get to disappear with the ring, though. Don't mess around with a lot of guys, okay? I'll be waiting for you, and I hope I see you soon but I don't want you to die young. Take care of yourself, okay? _

_Love, your giant._"

* * *

A/N: The forty-nine days thing after dying comes from a manga called 49/Yonjuukyuu by Touda Yoshimi.


End file.
